跡取り の 用心棒 Atotori no Youjinbou
by Mei Sanniang
Summary: Is Sasuke's punishment more than his heart can bear?


**The Heiress's Bodyguard **- Chapter One

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_This should be easy for you, Sasuke._ The _Godaime's _booming voice echoed in his head. _You're lucky I'm letting you off with such a merciful punishment._

"A _shitty _punishment is more like it..." The last known member of the Uchiha clan muttered bitterly to no other but himself as he trudged through a knee-high sea of decaying leaves, toward the Hyuuga estate where his _punishment_ would begin. While his left hand held a scroll – fastened neatly with a silken strip of crimson cloth – detailing the outline of his task, his right hand rested in the recesses of his pocket – concealed.

He was beginning to have second thoughts about returning to _Konohagakure. _Perhaps, it would have been better if he'd remained a missing-nin, to not be weighed down by the burden of others, to not go through these superfluous hardships... what, all for the sake of this village? The welfare of the people? Bullshit. None of these acts were beneficial (to him), power-wise nor wealth-wise. He fumed, although his prepossessing features displayed no evidence of his inner turmoils.

With a cold disposition, he entered the premises of the estate, ignoring the protests of the Hyuuga men stationed at the security establishment – which he also chose to disregard as he ambled by. The white-eyed men darted out of the wooden building, then staggered upon realization of the ex-missing nin's identity – killer of a legendary sannin, or so they were led to believe – stupefied by both the Uchiha's presence and his lack of response.

"Y-you! Stop!" One of the two called out to him with forced courage.

Doing something that might cause him further trouble did not appeal to him, although neither did being 'bossed around'. He measured his options and decided for the better. So, _r__eluctantly, _he obliged the guard and took no further step up the stone-slabbed path.

"He- he stopped," The man who'd barked the command lowered his voice to a whisper, his eyes darting anxiously to his similarly-behaving companion.

The Uchiha, biting his tongue to prevent stinging words from lashing out to that particular man, began to grow weary of his present situation, but he remained riveted to the spot – still facing away from the vigilantes. Aside from the occasional blink of his eyes and the soft-swaying of his hair, he generated no voluntary movement. And, of course, he waited – with slowly diminishing patience. He didn't feel the need to utter unnecessary words... especially to these Hyuuga _pests._

"State your purpose here!" The other demanded with daft audacity, but wisely maintained his distance from the Uchiha – perhaps gathering that if he approached, there was a possibility he may end up dead like Orochimaru.

"I have business with your _leader." _He informed, in a more irked tone than intended, and then proceeded – without their admittance – through the open shoji ahead.

"Wait! Before we take you to him," The two men scrambled to gain on the Uchiha. "We must make sure Hiashi-sama is prepared to see you."

"Please stay here while we confirm with Hiashi-sama," The two disappeared around the corner.

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, the Uchiha grudgingly decided to oblige the Hyuuga men once more – and waited. This was a complete waste of time, Sasuke began to fume yet again. Wouldn't it be easier for those stupid guards to just have given him the 'go-ahead'? What was with this 'making sure Hiashi-sama's ready' bullshit?

A high-pitched gasp caught his attention, triggering his awareness and he soon forgot about his escalating anger. It was curiosity that followed shortly after his fleeting rage.

Eventually, a girl that could very well described as 'attractive' – even if she was clad in _very plain _garments – emerged hesitantly from around the corner. Of course, he wouldn't really take notice of the beauty of this girl's features. He wasn't interested in having that kind of notion; having learned from his younger years, girls were better avoided than befriended – no matter how invitingly amiable they might appear.

Judging by her movements, he could tell that she'd noticed him.

"H-hello," She spared him a greeting before hurriedly glancing over his shoulder, and then offered him a nervous smile. She held a good-sized pack in her arms, he noted, and tightened her grasp on it before uttering a soft-spoken, "Excuse me," and hastily brushing past him.

He said nothing, only maintaining his shrewd gaze on her until she disappeared from the premises. _Don't I know her?_

The two guards returned and one of the two annoyingly cleared his throat to make their presence known.

Sasuke gave a subtle roll of his eyes. If he weren't in already enough trouble, he would've done something beyond-fatal to this Hyuuga.

"Hiashi-sama is expecting you. Please follow us."

He did. He followed them down the expanse of a anciently-decorated hallway before the guards finally ended their brief journey to a colossal chamber. As the Uchiha was being escorted inside, he noticed a seemingly-respectable man seated in front of a low desk with stacks of paper and scrolls around him.

It was only when he approached did the middle-aged man lift his gaze from his work and acknowledged him with measuring eyes. Momentarily, the man shifted his gaze to his subordinates and said, "Summon her."

The Hyuuga guards bowed before making haste to exit the chamber.

"Uchiha Sasuke, my name is Hiashi." He introduced himself briefly. "Please, sit down and make yourself comfortable." The Hyuuga patriarch gestured to the cushion on the opposite side of the table. "Hopefully this won't take but a little while."

Sasuke seated himself before this familiar man, and offered him the mission scroll. "I was told this is for you."

Mutedly, Hiashi accepted the scroll and unraveled it without hesitance. His eyes darted quickly from side to side and it was not long until he re-rolled the parchment and placed it aside. "A mere confirmation, not too important." He remarked nonchalantly, then set his eyes on the Uchiha. "I presume you understand the reason you are here; however, you know very little or nothing of the task assigned to you."

There was a questioning tint in the tone of the Hyuuga's voice.

Obsidian eyes unwavering, Sasuke nodded – rather unenthusiastically.

"I requested for an experienced escort," Hiashi began to explain, "One to take my daughter to _Kirigakure_. The Hokage and I have agreed that, to maintain peace, a bond of marriage with the current Mizukage must be established."

"And so you're marrying your daughter off to him?" The Uchiha inquired, seeming disgusted at the prospect of arranged marriage. It was wrong, despite his knowing very little about it. "Does your daughter want this?"

"There's no other way to form an alliance," Hiashi answered calmly, unfazed by the young Uchiha's mild insolence, "Whether my daughter desires this burden or not, the sake of the village rests upon her shoulders."

A sudden barge interrupted their meeting, the frantic words of a guard, "Hiashi-sama! _Ojou-sama _is not in her quarters! We've searched throughout the entire estate!"

Loss at words, Hyuuga Hiashi abruptly rose, his eyes widening with disquietude.

_Doesn't seem like your daughter wants this arranged marriage shit, _Sasuke refrained from saying aloud.

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"Hinata, are you sure about this?"

She fixed her eyes tenderly on his bronzed features, the deep blue set of his eyes – how lovingly they gazed in return.

It was from his affection, so apparent and so clear in his depths, that she found the courage to flee... from a most-harrowing ceremony.

Hyuuga Hinata desired so fervently to spend her life with him, with Naruto – her childhood love; out of all the matters in her life, this was one she was perfectly confident about. For years she struggled to win his love; she would not throw away her long-toiled efforts by abandoning Naruto now.

"Yes," She said, without faltering speech. "I'm sure, Naruto-kun."

He closed what little distance there were between them, his hand gingerly caressed her cheek – the other at her waist.

The moment his lips touched hers, the pack of necessities dropped at their feet; eyes shut firmly, deep breaths drawn through nostrils, and lips fluttered – hesitant tongues danced. He embraced her covetingly, delicately as if she were a fragile doll.

But she ceased, her cheeks incarnadine, "B-but, Naruto-kun, you're ANBU. If they found out about this... the punishment they'd give would be greater than mine. I don't want you to get hurt for my sake."

"Don't be silly, Hinata-chan," He said light-heartedly, ruffling the fringe of hair across her forehead, "We won't get caught, I promise you. We'll go so far away, they'll never be able to find us." Naruto gave her a grin that made butterflies rampage wildly in her tummy.

"So this is where you are..." A shadowy figure leapt from the treetop, making itself visible, "_Ojou-sama_."

Naruto took immediate action, stepping quickly in front of his beloved to shield her from a potential threat. "Who the hell are you?!"

Hinata only looked on in muted horror.

"I can't believe it." The man's face was mostly covered with the deep-red scarf around his neck, the billowing cloth draping around and over his shoulders. "Even as ANBU, you still can't control your emotions. _Dobe._"

"...Sasuke?" Naruto's visage no longer appeared upset, his jaw slackened – eyes widening. "Is... that you?"

When her opalescent eyes met his much darker ones, Hinata felt the strike of familiarity, and it coursed not only through her, but through the Uchiha as well. _I bumped into him earlier._

"Who would've guessed that shy, little Hinata would finally end up being with the idiot of the village?"

Hinata's clenching appendages prevented the Uzumaki from retorting.

"We're going to leave, Sasuke. Don't try to stop us." He said, trying his best to calm his frenzied thoughts.

Releasing a sigh, the Uchiha shook his head disapprovingly. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

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**a/n: **Hiya, readers, this is the first chapter of a new story (obviously xD), and it's starting out rather dull, I think. If you manage to read all the way to the end, I salute you! Tell me what you think!


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